As makers, we all have dreams of huge projects. We fantasize and plan and sketch and model, but when we put down a considerable sum of money and take the project on in earnest, well, it becomes part of us.
What happens when those dreams have to stop though? What happens when the giant project you’ve invested your time and money in dies prematurely? There is certainly an emotional toll.
For us makers, sometimes the act of making can provide some catharsis.
When Technochic’s Natasha and Matt had to give up on their big dream of building a custom home, midway through the build, they turned to making to be their therapy.
They built a gingerbread model of the home they were in the process of constructing. They put love and attention into recreating all fo the ideal things they had envisioned for their project. Ultimately, they smashed it to bits.
I totally get why they built this gingerbread model. It allowed them to express their pain at having to give up, and being burdened with the financial loss that will surely hurt for a while. It also allowed for at least a tiny bit of agency and closure, being able to see what they had been envisioning, and then smash it to bits of their own free will.
We wish Technichic the best, and I think we can all learn a little bit from their example. Next time life sucks, maybe make something to take a bit of the edge off.
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